


You Plus Me is Bad News

by Hollyspacey



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A little angst, Bickering, Crack, Dog Cops, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Handcuffed Together, to possibly something else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 06:38:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9807617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: When Darcy and Bucky can't get along to save their lives, the others come up with a plan to force the two to be civil to one another. Naturally, this plan includes magical handcuffs.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this has been sitting in my Google Docs forever, and I am honestly tired of looking at it, so here it is. Big, massive hugs to Heather (whovian_muggle) and Dresupi for listening to me whine forever, and also for reading this and telling me it isn't garbage. You two are darling. <3 Title from 'Love on the Rocks' by Sara Bareilles.
> 
> *There is very brief talk of dubcon at one point in this, even though everything is totally consensual. I don't think it's anything triggery and I've been told it isn't that serious, but if it's something that might possibly bother you, skip this one.*
> 
> Thanks for reading, lovelies! Find me on [Tumblr](http://hollyspacey.tumblr.com/)! :)

"You're such an asshole, you know that?" 

Everyone at the breakfast table sighed simultaneously. It was early, too early, but somehow James Buchanan Barnes had managed to piss off one Darcy Elizabeth Lewis. Again. 

9:16 a.m. might even be a new record. Tony made a mental note to ask Friday if it was as he left the kitchen. 

Darcy continued, "I was trying to make conversation with you. That's what people do. Instead you sit there and look at me like I'm stupid, shoveling scrambled eggs down your throat like a caveman!" 

“Oooh eeh ooh," Bucky grunted with a smirk. 

Darcy screeched, "Oh my god, you're impossible!" 

Steve sighed. "Buck, can we get through one meal without you antagonizing her?" 

"No, it's not my fault she's so sensitive." 

"I am NOT sensitive!" 

He looked at her doubtfully. "Doll, you got mad at me on Monday because I didn't finish my dinner." 

"No, you _intentionally_ didn't finish it just because I made it. And you had this stupid, pinched look on your face like it was disgusting," she said, pointing her finger accusingly.

"Maybe it was." 

She leaned across the table, looking at Bucky smugly. "Yeah, was that why you went back later that night and cleaned out the leftovers? Just admit it, you did it to piss me off." 

Bucky straightened in his seat. "I admit nothing." 

The room was silent as everyone watched them glare at each other from across the table, the only sound coming when Tony came stomping into the room. He grabbed Darcy's hand and led her to Bucky's side, ignoring her squawks of protest. Finger moving back and forth between the two of them, he spoke in a firm voice, "You two are too much. You are killing us. Something has to change and this is me changing it." 

At that moment, they both felt a tingling as a set of glowing bracelets wrapped around each of their wrists. 

"What is this, Tony?" 

"What the hell, Stark?" 

"This," Tony gestured, "Is a little something Wanda and I came up with. You two are going to learn to get along, or you'll kill each other. Either way, I will get some peace and quiet." 

"This is bullshit," Darcy said, walking away. She didn't get far. 

Barely two feet away, she jerked back, looking at Tony and then Bucky in confusion. "Oh, did I not mention that you two are stuck together? Literally and metaphorically, actually. Learn to get along and they come off.” 

He motioned to the handcuffs, “There is about a two foot allowance on those things. T'Challa was kind enough to gift us some vibranium, so don't think you'll be able to pull them off. And Wanda helpfully added a little extra something. That would be the red glow you saw." 

He shrugged and went back to his breakfast. "You two better learn to get along." 

Darcy and Bucky looked at each other in horror. A glance around the table showed them that no one was particularly surprised. Bucky stared at Steve, who was conspicuously not looking at him. "You knew about this, Steve?" 

Darcy gaped at her friends, all of whom seemed suddenly very interested in everything except for the two people magically handcuffed together. "You _all_ knew?!" 

Clint gave her a sympathetic smile. "It won't be too bad, Darce. We just want you two to get along." 

“And you think handcuffing us together will accomplish that?" 

Tony shrugged. "It was either this or stuffing you two into a huge 'This Is Our Get-Along' shirt." 

Jane silently pushed Darcy’s food across the table and she dropped down into the chair beside Bucky, angrily chewing her toast as she glared at everyone at the table, especially the man to her left. 

 

Bucky didn’t think he would survive being attached to that infuriating woman. Truth was, it wasn’t that he disliked her. Sure, she drove him up the wall sometimes, but also there was a very devious part of him that enjoyed driving her crazy. She was kind of cute when she was angry. She’d get all flustered and her eyes would flash and he would have to fight back a grin. 

But he did that with the knowledge that at any point he could walk away. He knew hiding places even here at the facility that she would never find. So, he could get her all riled up and then just saunter away, pleased with himself for being able to draw such a reaction from her. This, though? This magic leash he was on? This wasn’t going to work. 

And judging by the small huffs of anger Darcy kept letting out, she agreed. Bucky finished his breakfast and waited patiently until Darcy was done, too. Then he silently stood and started away from the table. 

“Where are you going?” Darcy asked angrily. 

“I’m finished eating. So are you. Let’s go.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Haven’t you ever heard of being social, Barnes?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t really feel like sitting here listening to you and your silly conversation.” 

“Silly? Excuse me?” She started to turn to him in her chair.

“Buck,” came Steve’s warning voice and Bucky rolled his eyes. 

He stood by Darcy’s chair with a blank look. “By all means, finish your socializing.” 

Darcy just sat forward and started a conversation with Jane, totally ignoring the man standing silently at her side. A full twenty minutes later, she primly gathered her dishes and stood, finally looking at him. “We can go now.” 

Bucky just stood back and motioned for her to go ahead. They left the kitchen and she walked until they were in Jane’s lab, where she finally turned to look at him. “What are we going to do?” 

He gave her an unimpressed look. “Why are you asking me? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.” 

“Shut up. Can’t you rip them off or something?” 

Bucky scoffed, “Did you not hear the word _vibranium_? Might as well try to rip Steve’s shield in half.” 

Darcy threw her arms up in the air. “You’re not even gonna try?” 

Bucky whirled around and growled at her. “Do you think I haven’t been trying to get this thing off since the moment he put it on me?” 

Darcy closed her mouth and stared at him. With a tug to his wrist, she dragged him over to Jane’s toolbox and started rifling through it. One hour, countless curse words, and four broken tools later, they were still stuck together. Darcy sat back dejectedly in her chair. 

Bucky glared down at the metal encircling his wrist. “So we just have to get along and they will let us out of these.” 

Darcy snorted. “Fat chance of that. You can’t go ten minutes without being rude to me.” 

Bucky ignored her barb and continued, “Thing is, we don’t actually have to get along. We just have to convince them we can.” 

“You want me to lie to my friends?” Darcy asked in a scandalous tone. Bucky nodded, waiting for her answer. She held out her hand. “Absolutely. Count me in.” 

They left the lab and went into the common room, making sure to pass by everyone in their circuit of the room. Showed off just how well behaved they could be. _Look, everyone! We can walk twenty feet side-by-side without yelling at each other! Aren’t you guys proud?_

Instead of seeing the impressed looks on everyone’s faces they’d been aiming for, they mostly saw doubt and something that looked suspiciously like pity. Darcy privately thought it was pity for her for having to be attached to such an infuriating man. _He_ was the cause of this, him and his total inability to be a civil human being to her. 

There wasn’t a single person in their little group that he couldn’t be nice and polite to. Even Tony, with their assortment of issues. They could get along, make small talk, spend more than two minutes together without trying to kill one another. So, why couldn’t he act like that with her? 

She’d been nothing but kind and welcoming when he’d come to the Tower and all she’d gotten in return were scowls and smartass comments. Steve had apologized for his behavior so many times that eventually Darcy had sat him down and insisted he stop. Bucky was his friend, sure, but he wasn’t responsible for his shitty behavior. He was an adult and was fully aware of his actions.

Even Steve’s constant apologies and goading Bucky to be nice didn’t stop the bad behavior. If she didn’t know better, she would think that he was pulling the adult version of a schoolboy pulling her pigtails. But she didn’t put up with that then and she wouldn’t put up with it now. And yeah, maybe she was partly to blame. She couldn’t leave well enough alone. Couldn’t let herself ignore him, just let herself get all upset and snappy and go off on him, or go the other way and pick at him until he got frustrated. It seemed that they would never be able to get along.

What was it about her that brought out the insults and the sharp tongue and the terrible attitude? And what was it about him that brought out the carping and the needling and the childish whining in Darcy? 

***

“Can you be still, please?” 

Darcy had been wiggling around for over half an hour. Putting her leg under her, putting her other leg under her, propping her feet up on the coffee table, jiggling her foot, she just could not keep still. Finally she groaned and stood, shimmying in place with a reluctant look on her face. “I have to pee.” 

Bucky looked at her blankly before turning back to the tv. “Nope.” 

“You would rather I just pee all over myself and have to keep sitting beside me?” 

Bucky drew in a deep breath and they went briskly into her bathroom. “Ok, go,” Bucky said. 

Darcy crossed her arms and glared. “Not with you watching.” 

“I’m not _watching_. I’m in the room, but I plan on looking the other way.” 

She pointed to the side, “Get in the bathtub.” 

“I’m not getting in the bathtub.” 

Darcy narrowed her eyes. “Get in the bathtub or I’ll tell Steve you watched me pee.” 

With a murderous glare, Bucky stepped into the tub, cursing under his breath. Darcy pulled the shower curtain shut with a flourish. He stood behind the floral fabric and waited. And waited. And waited. 

“Did you forget how to go?” 

“Shut up. I don’t want you to hear me. It’s too quiet in here.” 

Bucky crossed his arms and waited. A few moments later, a loud rock song started blaring out of Darcy’s phone. 

“I can still hear you,” he shouted over the music. 

“BUCKY!”

***

At dinner that night, Bucky pulled the chair out for Darcy and she shot him an adoring grin. “Why, thank you, Bucky. Oh, this looks delicious.” 

There was a tension in the air as everyone filled their plates and started eating. Darcy could feel pointed sets of eyes on the two of them. “Bucky, can you please pass the salt?” Darcy asked politely. 

Bucky gave her a wide, toothy smile. “Yes, Darcy, I’d be glad to.” 

Darcy caught the small chuckle Jane tried to hide behind her drink, as well as the doubting look Clint and Natasha shared. Tony was at the other end of the table, eyebrow raised as he watched the exchange, and Steve was digging into his food, pretending nothing was wrong. So, maybe they’d oversold the whole thing. 

Darcy swept her eyes across the table. “What? We are trying here, you guys.” 

Clint snorted. “Sure you are, Darcy. And we appreciate it.” 

“We are! Tell them, Bucky.” 

“Oh, yeah. Maximum effort here.” 

Darcy reached down and pinched his leg. His hand came down on hers and pressed it into his thigh, before taking it in his. Darcy glared at him quickly and tried to pull her hand away, but he tightened his grip, the warmth of his fingers slotted between hers more distracting than Darcy was expecting. 

She cleared her throat. “This is a decidedly not-fun situation you all have put us in and we are trying to make the most of it. We just want these things off and if being civil is our only course of action, well, we will just have to force ourselves to be civil. Some support would be nice.” 

Steve looked at her, an earnest look on his face. “You’re right. We’re sorry, right guys?” 

There was a round of sheepish nods as everyone turned back to their meals. Darcy ate almost half of her meal before she realized her hand was still nestled in Bucky’s and she snatched it back, refusing to look at him. She could have sworn she heard a soft chuckle at her side. 

Every time Darcy got frustrated with Bucky, she would wind up, ready to lay into him, and she’d catch Steve or Tony’s eye and have to shove some food in her mouth. That also seemed to be Bucky’s mode of dealing with things-- shoving food in his mouth so he wouldn’t say something rude. Even though Darcy was certain no one truly bought their act, she was playing their game, and she was playing it by their rules. But she needed those blasted handcuffs off immediately. 

After dinner, Darcy and Bucky grabbed Steve and Tony and dragged them into Steve’s office. Darcy stood in front of Bucky and stared down the other two men. She gestured at herself and Bucky. “Ok, this has been fun, but I’d say this little experiment has been a bust. We may never be able to get along. But we get the point and we’re _trying_. Now, can we take these things off?” 

Tony arched a brow. “No way, kid. They are on there for a reason and they are staying on there until you two can figure out how to act like adults.” 

“What about tonight, huh? You can’t expect us to sleep together. In the same bed!” 

Bucky snorted behind her. “Yeah, she’s not used to a real man in her bed.” 

Darcy glared at him and turned back to Steve and Tony. “See? I didn’t even slap the shit out of him for that comment. Baby steps.” 

Steve looked at Tony and Darcy could _feel_ him wanting to give in, but Tony stepped forward, a meaningful look to Steve. “This is for your own good. Because if we don’t get some peace out of you two, one of us is going to snap.” 

“Maybe I’ll snap in the middle of the night and strangle her,” came Bucky’s lazy drawl behind her. 

“I should be so lucky,” she huffed under her breath, before fixing Steve with a pointed look, “Steve? Are you going to make me sleep with him after that threat?” 

“He didn’t mean it, Darce. Buck, stop antagonizing her.” 

“I’m not antagonizing her. I’m a very dangerous individual, I could snap. Do either of you want that on your conscience?” 

Tony looked uncertain for the first time since slapping the handcuffs on them and Darcy took her chance. She nodded at him, dire look on her face, “I would blame you, Tony. My ghost would haunt you forever.” 

Steve shook his head. “Darcy.” 

Tony narrowed his eyes at Darcy and Bucky. “You two are playing me! No, absolutely not. Those things are staying on.” He pointed at Darcy, “And if you do decide to haunt me, I’m gonna make sure that you see some disgusting things.” 

Darcy sighed. “Whatever.”

The two of them stormed from the office, Darcy grumbling under her breath as she led him back to her apartment. She pushed inside, only to be jerked back by Bucky. She glared back at him. “Is there a problem?” 

“I’m tired of you dragging me everywhere. I’ve been followin’ you around all day.” 

Darcy clenched her jaw and nodded. “Fine. What do you want to do?” 

He thought for a moment, before heading into her apartment. “We can go hang out in here.” 

“Seriously? If you were just going to do this anyway, what was the point of that?” Darcy asked, gesturing back to the doorway. 

Bucky stepped to her and looked down into her eyes. “I get you’re not happy with this. Neither am I. I’m stuck just like you are, and I don’t like being told what to do. I’ve had plenty of that.” 

Darcy looked down guiltily, sighing. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s just try to get through this, ok?” 

“Yeah, ok.” 

She looked distracted as she moved through the apartment. Maybe he’d made her feel guilty with his comment. To lighten the mood, he sat down heavily on the couch and shot her an unamused look. “Now, please don’t make me watch that stupid dog show you and Clint like so much.” 

Her eyes flashed briefly as she daintily sat beside him, grabbing the remote. “Sorry. My apartment, my rules,” she said, as the singing, barking spaniels of the Dog Cops theme song started playing in the background. 

The night grew long and Darcy could feel her eyes getting heavy. She looked over at Bucky and he too, looked ready for bedtime. She stood. “Let’s just get this over with, please.” Bucky nodded and followed her to her room. “Do you need pajamas or anything?”

“Can we just go to my apartment real quick?” Bucky asked. 

“Yeah, of course.” 

Bucky sighed and led her out of her apartment and down the hall. She knew they lived in the same wing, but Bucky was actually only a few doors down. His door unlocked as he reached for it, and they walked in. Darcy didn’t know what to expect from his living quarters, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was neat, a little boring, but nice. They walked through the living room before she could snoop around, and went into his bedroom. 

While Bucky went to the dresser in the corner, Darcy sat on his bed and looked at the stuff on his nightstand, the lamp, the Stark alarm clock, the rather large and dangerous-looking knife, the stack of books and the one lone book to the side with a bookmark poking out of the top. 

“ _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ ,” Darcy said with the hint of a surprise. 

“Yeah, so what?” Bucky asked defensively as he straightened and turned back to her., clothes in hand. 

“Nothing. It’s good, one of my favorites.” The fight he was gearing up for left his body as he looked at her holding his book. She turned the stack of books and looked at the titles on their spines. “You don’t have the rest of the series?” 

“There’s more?” 

“Oh yeah.” She paused and then offered, “I have them if you’d like to borrow them.” 

He took the book gently from her hands. “Yeah, thanks.” 

She shrugged it off and started looking around at more of Bucky’s stuff, before he started walking, pulling her away from being nosy. He stepped into the bathroom to grab his toothbrush and they left the apartment. 

Once they were back at Darcy’s, they started getting ready for bed. She would be lying if she said there wasn’t something comforting about being around Bucky like this, with him just going about his daily life and not going out of his way to be an asshole. She watched him in the mirror as they both brushed their teeth and she found she the perfect opportunity to actually take in the sight of him without worrying about him snapping at her. He looked so soft when he was sleepy, his shoulders relaxed, his eyes heavy, his hair falling in his face. 

Darcy remembered that despite all of their issues, Bucky Barnes was a very hot individual, and the potential for her to be attracted to him was very high. If only he weren’t such an ass. 

Shaking her head, she finished up and ran a brush through her hair. She pointed wordlessly to the shower and he climbed in. “I can hear you peeing,” came his smug voice.

She slapped the shower curtain. “Well, enjoy it. I’m tired and I don’t care.” 

When she was done, he went to slide open the curtain and she stopped him. “Let me change first.” She hurried to pull her clothes off and pull on the long shirt she’d stolen from Thor and now used as a nightshirt. She thought briefly about how nice a shower would feel and quickly pushed the thought aside as she tapped on the shower curtain, “Ok, I’m all done.” 

They finished getting ready for bed in silence, only fumbling over each other a little. Bucky shucked off his clothes with his back to her and she turned away. When she glanced over at him again, he was clad in some sweats and no shirt. He saw the look she gave his exposed chest and he shrugged, “I don’t wear a shirt, I get hot at night.” 

“Lucky me,” Darcy muttered as he climbed into bed, eliciting a snort from Bucky. 

The domestic part of this wasn’t terrible, Bucky had to admit. If Darcy weren’t who she was, he was certain he could get used to it. He found that she wasn’t as silly and loud as he thought she was. She was smart, she had a sense of humor, and she genuinely cared about people. 

Earlier in the bathroom, he’d looked up when she was changing and saw that he could clearly see her silhouette through the floral shower curtain. His parts still worked and he still had eyes and it took more will than he expected to tear his gaze away from the shadowy curves of her body. And he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t enjoyed the look she’d given him when he took his shirt off. He may not have gotten that look in a good long while, but he knew what it meant, and getting that look from Darcy didn’t seem like a bad thing.

They settled into bed, inches away from each other and Darcy immediately grabbed more than her share of the blankets. “I need these more than you do. You get hot at night, remember?” 

Bucky just sighed heavily and pulled his portion of the blanket up. Darcy turned out the light and they lay there silently, but Bucky just couldn’t get comfortable. 

“Be still,” Darcy groaned, as Bucky readjusted for what felt like the millionth time. 

“I’m trying.” 

She sighed. “You keep moving. Why are you so wiggly?” 

“I’m not _wiggly_. Why is this bed so soft?” Bucky asked. 

“It’s a bed, it’s supposed to be soft. I’m sorry I don’t sleep on a concrete slab like you do.” 

“It’s good for the back,” he replied. 

Darcy bit back a smile and turned away from him, burrowing under the covers. 

***

They were yelling at each other. Just like they always did. Bucky was being his usual asshole self and Darcy was calling him out on it. She said something that pushed him too far and she felt a shock as his eyes widened and he stalked across the room to get to her. She backed up until she felt the wall behind her, but he just kept pressing forward until they were touching. 

Darcy threw out another insult and he grabbed her, his mouth clashing against hers as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, his whole body pushing her back into the wall. He started tearing her clothes off, hands burning her skin as Darcy reached down to unbutton his jeans. She could feel his rough fingertips as they searched out every inch of her skin, his thumb rubbing across her sensitive nipples. Clothes were pulled off as he held her steady against the wall and lined himself up at her entrance. 

Just as he was about to thrust into her, Darcy jolted. Her heart was pounding and there was a flush on her skin. Darcy felt the dream slip away as she moved towards full consciousness. A hot wave rushed through her body as she realized that she wasn’t being fucked against a wall, she was just lying in her bed. 

She opened one eye just a tad, just enough to see that it was daylight, that somehow she’d slept all night. It probably had something to do with the pair of arms wrapped around her. _Wait_. 

She opened her eyes fully and tried to look without moving her head, but she couldn’t see anything, just felt a wall of muscle at her back, a nose breathing softly into her hair, an arm slung over her waist, and something hard poking at her ass. In the grogginess of sleep, it took her a moment to realize what that something was, and who it belonged to. 

The same person, who moments before in her subconscious, had her moaning against his lips. Darcy could still feel the heaviness in her breath, and gave a short gasp as she shifted her body and Bucky pressed more firmly against her. 

She said his name softly, “Bucky,” and felt him awaken. 

His grip tightened as he inhaled deeply. “Darce.” 

Maybe it was the effects of the dream she’d just had or the way they’d gotten along the night before or something about the gentle way he said her name that had her arching against him, suddenly desperate to feel him. He paused only a moment before his hand inched up along her waist to cup her breast as his hips did a slow grind against her backside. 

Darcy met his movements, pushing back against him, feeling his erection press into her ass. He nosed through her hair until he could press his lips to her neck, Darcy shifting her head to better give him access. Bucky left a line of hot, open-mouthed kisses along her neck. Her hand went back to pull at his hair as she arched backwards against him, urging him on. 

Bucky’s hand slipped from her breast to slide down her body. He slipped it between her legs, holding her tight to him as a moan fell from her lips. He gave a deep chuckle and it broke her from her reverie. 

He was laughing at her, at the way she was reacting to him.

She was pissed. Pissed at herself for giving into those feelings the way she did, and pissed at him for making her feel that way in the first place. So instead of being an adult about the situation, she turned cold, spit venom at him instead of speaking calmly. She pulled his hand off of her, rolled off the bed, and gestured back at his crotch, hissing, “Get that thing away from me.” 

His eyes flashed momentarily and then he took a deep breath, laying back heavily with a blank look on his face. “I’m sorry.” 

Darcy stood there wordlessly, arms crossed, tears threatening to spill, and shrugged. She knew they should talk, but she thought if Bucky made fun of the way she had let go when she was in his arms, she might die. So she put up her walls and stood awkwardly, staring across the room. 

Bucky didn’t say anything either, just crawled to the edge of the bed and sat there. His head fell into his hands and he roughly pulled at his hair. Taking a deep breath, he stood, whirling around to face Darcy, hands up like she was an animal that was about to bolt. Bucky shook his head. “I am so sorry. You didn’t deserve that, Darce. I would never do something like that without your permission. You felt so nice and I thought you were awake and into it and I just had my hands all over you. You have to believe me, I didn’t mean for that to happen, ok?” 

_What_? Darcy felt her entire body go still. She was stunned and couldn’t react, just stared at the man standing in front of her as his words circled through her brain. 

He let out a heavy sigh and his head fell, “ _Fuck_. I have done some terrible things in my life, but I’ve never done _that_.” 

The terror and self-hatred in his voice broke Darcy from her shock. She spoke up loudly and clearly, “It wasn’t like that.” 

His eyes shot up to look into hers and she continued, “Look, I was awake and I was,” she very carefully avoided finishing that sentence, saying that she was very much into it. “I was awake. I knew what was happening. I was a totally willing participant. You didn’t- you didn’t do anything wrong, alright? It wasn’t like that.” 

He looked at her uncertainly and she stepped forward to repeat earnestly, “I never meant for you to think that you did something wrong. You didn’t. You wouldn’t do that.”

“Then why did you jump away from me like that?” Bucky asked her. They stood in silence for a moment. 

Darcy shrugged and shook her head. She knew she needed to be honest with Bucky, but honestly she was terrified. Mostly she just wanted to rewind a bit to when things were easier between them. Minutes before, when they were both still in bed, Bucky wrapped around her making her feel good. Before feelings and misunderstandings and their history had muddied the water again. 

“I think we need to get on the same page about what happened,” Bucky said finally. That terrible look of self-blame had finally left his face and he actually looked curious. 

“I shouldn’t have jumped away like I did. I overreacted. I didn’t want you to think that you had done anything wrong. I just, I felt like you were making fun of me.” 

His forehead crinkled and he looked down at her. “How was I making fun of you?” 

Darcy looked down as her fingers and answered softly, “You laughed at me. You saw that I was into it and you laughed at me.” 

“When?” 

“When I,” she sighed. “When I _moaned_. And I was pulling at your hair and rubbing on you like a cat in heat and you laughed at me. And I knew then that it was all just a joke to you and that the next time we were arguing about something, you’d bring it up in front of everyone, and I just, I just got mad.” 

Bucky’s eyebrows lifted in realization at what Darcy had thought. He frowned at her. “That’s not what happened, you know.” 

“I know that now,” she said softly. 

Bucky hesitantly stepped forward and let his hand brush against her arm. When Darcy didn’t flinch or move away, he spoke, “You find every opportunity you can to needle at me, to egg me on, and then there you were, soft and warm in my arms, feeling so good, making those sweet little noises. And it hit me that I was the one making you make those noises. That this was the second interaction of ours that didn’t involve yelling and insults and we were getting along _extremely well_ , so yeah, I laughed, but it wasn’t at you.” 

“Oh.” 

Bucky rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed. “We just keep fucking things up, don’t we?” 

“That does seem to be what we do best.” She met his eyes and apologized again, “I am really, really sorry that I made you feel like you had done something wrong. I meant it when I said you wouldn’t do something like that.” 

“Thank you.” Bucky reached down and started fiddling with the cuff on his arm. “Looks like we’re still stuck in these things, though.” 

“Yeah. We could always hop back in bed and fool around a bit, since that seems to be the only way we can get along,” Darcy suggested with a grin, pulling a surprised bark of laughter from Bucky. 

“Keep it up, I’m gonna start thinking you like me.” 

“Eww, gross,” Darcy said, nose wrinkled in disgust, but eyes lit up with laughter. 

Bucky looked into her eyes. “Hey. I’m sorry for picking on you all the time, ok?” 

Darcy nodded sincerely. “I’m sorry, too. Sometimes I do go above and beyond to antagonize you.” 

They smiled at each other, both a little uncertain about where to go from there. They weren’t used to seeing the civilized sides of each other. All of a sudden, there were two dull thuds and they both looked down to see that the cuffs had unlocked and fallen to the floor. 

“They’re off!” Darcy exclaimed. 

Bucky rubbed at his wrist, grinning. “Does this mean we have to be friends now?” 

Darcy thought this over, “I think so.” 

“I guess I am ok with that.” 

Darcy playfully pushed his shoulder. “Oh, please. You may not be aware of this because of how difficult you always are, but I am awesome.” 

“Yeah, ok,” Bucky said, chuckling. 

They both headed out of the bedroom and Bucky went in the direction of the door. He stopped at the doorway and turned back to Darcy, looking for all the world like he wanted to say something. “Spit it out, Barnes.”

He gave a soft huff of laughter, “I’m gonna go grab some breakfast and take a shower. And I don’t know if you have any plans today, but if you want, maybe we can finish our Dog Cops marathon.” 

She lit up, “I knew you liked it!” 

“Nah, I still hate it. But the next time I get in an argument with Clint about how bad it is, I’d like to be able to give examples.” 

Darcy hummed, “Sure. If you say so. Go, eat your food, take your shower. Then when you get back here I have six full episodes to get you to admit it’s the best show on television.” 

“Never gonna happen, doll. But sure, give it a try,” Bucky threw back over his shoulder as he headed out of the door. 


End file.
